Matildas midfielder Elise Kellond-Knight has been nominated for the 2015 Asian Football Confederation Women's Player of the Year award.
Matildas midfielder Elise Kellond-Knight has been nominated for the 2015 Asian Football Confederation Women's Player of the Year award.
Kellond-Knight is nominated alongside Japan duo Aya Miyama and Rumi Utsugi following strong performances at this year's FIFA Women's World Cup in Canada.
https://twitter.com/elise_kk8/status/666949802941378560
The 25-year-old, who is currently playing for German side Turbine Potsdam, was an integral part of the Matildas history making World Cup quarter final run.
Along the way she was twice voted Player of the Match and named in the FIFA Women's World Cup Team of the Tournament for the second time.
Kellond-Knight will be looking to become the third Australian to win Asia's highest honour joining Kate Gill and her former Brisbane Roar and Matildas teammate Katrina Gorry, who is the current holder of the title.
The AFC Player of the Year will be awarded on 29 November 2015 at the AFC Annual Awards in New Delhi.
2015 Nominees
Player profiles from the-AFC. com
Elise Kellond-Knight (Australia)
FFC Turbine Potsdam’s defensive midfielder Elise Kellond-Knight of Australia was W-League Young Player of the Year in 2009 and also the 2011 FFA Female Footballer of the Year.
The 25-year-old, who started her club career with hometown outfit Brisbane Roar in 2008, has 64 caps for the Australia national team and scored a crucial goal in the Matildas’ 2-1 win over Korea Republic in the 2014 AFC Women’s Asian Cup semi-final before they finished runners-up to eventual champions Japan.
Kellond-Knight was also chosen to be on the FIFA Women's World Cup All-Star Teams in 2011 and 2015, the year she helped Australia reach the quarter-finals.
Aya Miyama (Japan)
Two-time (2011, 2012) AFC Women’s Player of the Year Aya Miyama has been captain of the Japan national women’s team since 2012, the year she helped the Nadeshiko claim silver at the London Olympics. Having appeared at every FIFA Women’s World Cup since 2003, the 30-year-old played an important role in Japan’s 2011 title winning campaign and also won the Bronze Ball award at this year’s edition in Canada where the Japanese emerged as runners-up to the USA. The Okayama Yunogo Belle midfielder helped Japan claim their first AFC Women’s Asian Cup title in Vietnam last year and was the tournament’s MVP.
Rumi Utsugi (Japan)
Japan’s Rumi Utsugi has been playing her club football for Montpellier, a French women’s top-flight outfit, since 2010 where she has scored 20 times from 111 appearances. The 26-year-old defensive midfielder was in the Nadeshiko squads at both the 2007 and 2011 FIFA Women’s World Cup. She also appeared in the 2010 and 2014 AFC Women’s Asian Cups, with Japan winning the latter to claim their first Asian Cup title. Utsugi also helped Japan win the inaugural edition of the AFC U-17 Women's Championship in Korea Republic in 2005.
Related Articles

Arsenal's Foord and Catley make Champions League exit

Matildas not drawn on England Women's World Cup rivalry
